Closet bowl step attachment



June 14, 1938. I G. B. BENTZ 2,120,481 7 C LOSET BOWL STEP ATTACHMENT 'Filed NOV. 9, 1937 Gage B. .5872Z2 Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

The invention aims to provide a simple, inexpensive and desirable step attachment for closet bowls to enable small children to readily climb upon the seat, the step being quickly and easily foldable to an out-of-the-way position in which it will not interfere with use of the closet by adults.

In carrying out the above end, a further aim is to provide at least one handle to aid the child in using the step, and to make novel provision whereby said handle will occupy an operative position when said step occupies its operative position, and whereby said handle will be moved to an out-of-the-way position when said step is swung to its out-of-theway position.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawinc.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one form of the invention with the step and the two handles in operative position, the seat of the bowl being raised to illustrate the manner of connecting the attachment with the bowl.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the step and the handles in their out-of-the-Way positions and showing the seat lowered.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a different form of construction.

Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation showing the device of Fig. 3 in its out-of-the-way position.

Fig. 5 is a detail section partly in elevation, showing a different pivotal mounting for the step.

In Figs. 1 and 2, a substantially vertical frame 5 is shown having rearwardly extending hook shanks 6 at its upper end to lie upon a closet bowl rim, the rear ends of said shanks being provided with hooks I to abut the inner side of said rim and to underlie the same. The frame 5, in the construction shown, includes a horizontal bar 8 through which a set-screw 9 passes to abut the front portion of the bowl to assist in holding the attachment properly in place. At the front ends of the shanks B, angular arms Ill project laterally from the frame 5, said arms being provided with guide eyes ll through which vertical handle rods 12 pass slidably, the upper ends of said handle rods being provided with balls l3 or other 0 suitable hand-grips.

A step I4 is pivoted at l5 to the lower end of the frame 5 to swing from the horizontal operative position of Fig. 1 to the vertical out-of-theway position of Fig. 2, said frame being provided 55 with stops l6 for limiting the downward swinging of said step. This step is provided with rearwardly projecting crank arms I 1 which are pivoted at 18 to the lower ends of the handle rods l2. By this arrangement, when the step I4 is in its lowered position for use, the rods l2 project up- 5 wardly beyond the eyes I l and the hand-grips l3 may be readily grasped by a child to aid him in using the. step when climbing onto the seat or leaving the same. When the closet is to be used by an adult, however, the step I4 is swung up- 1 wardly as shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the crank arms I! slide the handle rods I2 downwardly, said step and rods being then entirely out of the way.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 3 15 and 4, the frame 5 is very similar to the frame 5 but does not include guides such as I0, I I. The step l4 is pivoted at I5 to the frame 5 and is provided with rigidly attached handle members which are preferably in the form of side rails 12 20 curving upwardly and rearwardly from the step 14 said rails preferably extending sufficiently rearward to form arm-rests for the child. These rails are preferably braced by suitable rods 19 connected therewith and with the step i4. 25

When the step 14 is operatively positioned as seen in'Fig. 3, the hand rails l2 are similarly positioned to materially aid a child in using the step. When an adult is to use the closet, raising of thestep M to the out-of-the-Way position 30 shown in Fig. 4, causes the rails l2 to swing downwardly outof the. way at the sides of the closet bowl.

In Fig. 5, a portion of a frame 5'' is shown, corresponding to either of the frames 5 or 5*. 35 The lower end of this frame 5 is provided with two open loops, one of which is shown at 20. This loop is provided at its rear with a downwardly facing internal shoulder 2|, at its front with an upwardly facing shoulder 22, and at its 40 lower end with a substantially U-shaped internal seat 23. The step M includes rods or studs 24 and 25 which abut the shoulders 2| and 22 respectively when said step is lowered. These rods or the like are received in the U-shaped portion 45 23 when the step is swung upwardly thereby holding said step in raised position. To lower the step for use, it is simply necessary to lift it until the rod or stud 25 is free of the U-shaped portion 23, whereupon said step may swing downwardly.

Excellent results may be obtained from the constructions shown and described but variations may, of course, be made within the scope of the invention as claimed. 5

I claim:--

1. A closet step attachment comprising a step and means for pivotally mounting the same at the front of a closet bowl to allow swinging of said step from an operative position to an outof-the-way position, and at least one handle to aid a child using the step, said handle being connected with said step for movement to an operative position when said step is moved to its operative position and for movement to an outof-the-way position when said step is moved to its out-of-the-way position.

2. A closet step attachment comprising a step and means for pivotally mounting the same at the front of a closet bowl to allow swinging of said step from an operative position to a vertical out-of-the-way position, and at least one handle to aid a child using the step, said handle being connected with said step for movement to a raised operative position when said step is swung to its operative position and for movement to a lowered out-of-the-way position when said step is swung to its raised out-of-the-way position.

3. A closet step attachment comprising a step and means pivotally mounting the same at the front of a closet bowl to allow swinging of said step from an operative position to a raised outof-the-way position, a vertical handle rod to aid a child using the step, means slidably mounting said rod for movement from a raised operative position to a lowered out-of-the-way position, and connecting means between said step and said handle rod for lowering said handle rod when said step is raised and for raising said handle rod when said step is lowered.

4. A closet step attachment comprising a step and means pivotally mounting the same at the front of a closet bowl to allow swinging of said step from an operative position to a raised out-ofthe-Way position, a vertical handle rod to aid a child using the step, means slidably mounting said rod for movement from a raised operative position to a lowered out-of-the-way position, and a crank arm on said step projecting rearwardly from the step pivot and pivoted to the lower end of said handle rod for lowering said handle rod when said step is raised and for raising said handle rod when said step is lowered.

5. A closet step attachment comprising a vertical frame for disposition at the front of a closet bowl, said frame being provided at its upper end with hooks to engage the bowl rim and with laterally projecting guides, a step pivoted to the lower end of said frame and swingable upwardly to an out-of-the-way position, said step being provided with a crank arm projecting rearwardly beyond its pivot and underlying said guide, and a vertical handle rod passing slidably through said guide and pivoted at its lower end to said crank arm, said handle rod projecting above said guide when said step occupies its operative position but being lowered to an out of the way position by means of said crank arm when said step is upwardly swung to its out-of-the-way position.

6. A closet step attachment comprising a step and means pivotally mounting the same at the front of a closet bowl to allow swinging of said step from an operative position to a raised outof-the-way position, and at least one handle member secured to and rising from said step to aid a child in using the same, said handle member being swingable rearwardly and downwardly at one side of the closet bowl as said step is swung upwardly.

'7. A closet step attachment comprising a step and means pivotally mounting the same at the front of a closet bowl to allow swinging of said step from an operative position to a raised out-ofthe-way position, and at least one side rail secured to said step to aid a child in using the same, said side rail being swingable rearwardly and downwardly at one side of the closet bowl as said step is swung upwardly.

8. A closet step attachment comprising a frame having means for mounting it at the front of a closet bowl, said frame being provided with two open loop portions disposed in spaced parallel front-to-rear planes, each loop being provided with a downwardly facing internal shoulder at its rear portion, with an upwardly facing internal shoulder at its front portion, and with a substantially U-shaped internal seat at its lower end, and a step having means to abut said shoulders to hold the step in a, horizontal position, and to rest in said seat to hold the step in an upwardly swung position.

GEORGE B. BENTZ. 

